ROYALTIES AND GIVING

                              

 Over the last few months I have been praying and wondering how I can increase my support of women who suffer from obstetric fistulas. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to write and have published “Broken Pottery the life of an African girl” a fictional book that highlights the plight of these women. But I felt led by God to do something more tangible.

So I am thrilled to announce that HALF of all royalties received by me from the 16/6/2012 from sales of my book in any format will be donated to one of the fistula projects listed on my website.

www.JenniferAnn.info

It’s really a WIN – WIN – WIN  scenario.

I WIN because I am priviledged to give to these projects.

The reader WINS because as they relax and enjoy the book they are at the same time helping to support these women.

The fistula women WIN because their health care and education can continue.

Gods’ blessings to you all,

Jennifer Ann

Storms Pass; Love Remains.

Perth has faced some pretty wild weather over the past few days. It is predicated that a storm will hit again later tonight. Many are praying that tonight is simply a storm in a teacup.

The weather over the weekend was pretty scary. My suburb  experienced lightening, thunder, strong winds, teeming rain and hail. My patio flooded and we had water pouring into the kitchen through the back door.

Really the damage to us was minimal. Some broken trees, everything soggy and some extra loads of washing after using all my towels to mop up puddles.  Others have had major damage caused to their homes and cars. Some schools and hospitals have been closed due to severe damage. As we all know, our friend Lee has lost so much and we continue to pray for her and her family.
The weekend storm (and the potential storm later tonight), has caused me to think about life. We watch storms come and go. Sometimes they are severe and leave some kind of devastation behind and sometimes they are just a minor disturbance on our radar. There may be puddles to clean up afterwards or maybe some more serious consequences to deal with, but one thing is constant, God is with us throughout all the storms we will face.

I know from personal experience as well as from stories and people in The Bible that God is with us as we weather the storms and manage the clean up.

Whatever the storm is in your life right now, hang on to your Saviour. The storm will pass and you will move forward.

Years ago a friend gave me a poster with a beautiful stormy scene and the words : STORMS PASS, LOVE REMAINS BEHIND.

His love does indeed remain.

Much love,
Narelle

Narelle Nettelbeck
www.momentsformum.blogspot.com

Writing: A Ministry or a Business?

by Narelle Atkins

In recent weeks I’ve been thinking and praying about the direction of my writing journey and how I perceive my writing. I write in three different genres: nonfiction Bible studies, inspirational romance and sweet romance.

I definitely view my sweet romance writing as more of a business than a ministry. I’m seeking traditional publishing opportunities and I’m striving to write high quality stories that will appeal to a specific market. These stories have underlying Christian values and potentially a subtle spiritual theme because I’m writing from a Christian world view.

My inspirational romances have a stronger ministry focus. These stories are the ones that I feel have put on my heart for a reason and, like my sweet romance stories, I’ve sought out traditional publishing opportunities.

I’ve come to the conclusion that if we’re considering traditional publishing opportunities then we have no choice but to think about our writing as a business. Traditional publishers are bearing all the financial risk when they contract a book. The staff and owners of publishing companies need to sell books to pay for their salaries and feed their families. An author may not receive a new contract or the next book in their publishing deal may be cancelled if they have poor book sales. And the publisher will go out of business if they aren’t selling enough books to ensure their business is financially viable.

I know authors do struggle with all the marketing and promotion that is expected of them compared to the ‘old days’. The eBook revolution and the flood of cheap self-published books hitting the marketplace have changed the publishing landscape. Traditional publishers have lost some of their ability to dominate the market because the main book buying channel is no longer limited to print books sold either in a book store or online. Traditional publishers, large and small, have to work hard to get their books noticed by readers, and authors are expected to be partners in this endeavour.

In contrast, I perceive my Bible studies to be a ministry rather than a business. We set up the 30 Minute Bible Studies website six years ago and we provide free Bible study questions that we had previously written for our small group. This year the ‘ducks lined up’, so to speak, and we have added a blog to the website and started publishing eBook leader’s guides on Smashwords. Six years ago I had a vision to sell affordable leader’s guides in eBook format but the timing wasn’t right and the necessary resources didn’t exist.

We’re releasing an eBook per month and writing articles on the blog that relate to the Bible studies. I chose to self publish the leader’s guide precisely because our primary goal isn’t to sell bucket loads of eBooks. We hope to encourage people to join a group that studies the Bible and we provide free or affordable Bible study resources that they may find helpful. The leader’s guides are an optional extra that we are charging a small amount for to potentially compensate for the time and effort it takes to put together the information.

How do you perceive your writing? Is it a ministry or a business or both? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

NARELLE ATKINS writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. She can also be found at the International Christian Fiction Writers blog.

Narelle is a co-founder of the 30 Minute Bible Studies website. She recently launched the new 30 Minute Bible Studies blog. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.

Pot-pourri books

I've had the privilege of reading some unpublished manuscripts and writing reports on them for their authors. A couple of outstanding ones have come my way, full of whimsical, incredible originality combined with the sort of plot I'd imagine only dreams are made of. They shine with the outstanding and unexpected on almost every page. Such stories are clearly inspired because nobody else could possibly have written them.

When I ponder what I know about the public as an entity, I wonder, if these stories were published, how would they fare in the big wide world? Would they be received well by the masses in general? We live in a world in which some publishers even give perspective authors formulas as required reading because they fill such a niche in the market and know what they want to sell.

An editor once asked me what genre a manuscript of mine was, because she'd got a few chapters into it and couldn't tell. "Is it inspirational, sweet romance, adventure, chit-lit, family saga or what?" She said it was important that I tell her as the knowledge would influence the way she approached the editing. And I couldn't really tell myself. I simply wrote a story that appealed to me. I thought it a pity there is no genre called pot-pourri but it's easy to understand the reason there isn't. Many readers don't want to risk pot luck when it comes to spending their hard-earned money on books.

I've heard of authors writing stories out of their established 'genres', receiving flak from their fan bases and suffering in resulting sales. It seems the only viable option for these writers may be to consider using pseudonyms for certain projects.

My pot-pourri manuscript was eventually worked on by another editor who enjoyed all the disparate elements. It was published as A Design of Gold and its cover was once featured on a romance double page of a Koorong catalogue. I flinched when I saw it there because it is definitely not pure romance and looked odd among all the covers and blurbs of books that were. My kids even laughed at me and I gloomily predicted, "I don't think many will sell." I turned out to be right.

So what is the phenomenon we have? Sometimes I think of it as the "McDonalds" system of marketing books. Many people want to feel safe. They like the predictability of knowing exactly what they can expect when they buy a burger or a book. That's why I've come across many blurbs like the following.

Mary-Belle is contentedly preparing for her wedding to small town lawyer, Tim, when the brash and rude town-planner Hugo sweeps into her peaceful, rural life, determined to raise a civic shopping centre. As she fights him on this, mayhem ensues. Could the brusque villain really be nursing a broken heart? 

Have you read that book before? Well, in one way, it's impossible because I just made up that blurb now. On the other hand, yes, you have, if you're coming from the, "seen one, seen 'em all" perspective. My Design of Gold was up against several similar blurbs to this. Would you feel tempted to read about Mary-Belle and Hugo based on that blurb? I'm sure many people would, in the same way they like to grab a chicken fillet meal deal at the end of a long day. We're worn out and we know we'll get to see the pompous guy with attitude eventually kiss the sassy girl with the perfect figure.

What happens if readers think what you're offering may appear a bit unpredictable at first sight? That, I believe, is one of the things I've struggled with over time, although I wouldn't change it for the world. My books are sort of eclectic with bits from all sorts of sources. Just like real life itself, I like to think my stories have body, flavour and offer a substantial feast.

Do they suffer in sales from being hard to squeeze into cut-and-dried genres? Yes, probably. I call my books 'contemporary dramas' as pot-pourri books would probably get raised eyebrows, and I add that there are elements of romance, mystery and suspense. They aren't totally off-the-wall, like going to a smorgasbord restaurant with goulash, meat pies, pavlovas, mi-goreng, baked trout, chocolate mousse and a Sunday roast all offered on the same table. That would be like having vampires in a time machine suddenly appearing in the middle of your Amish community to whisk Jacob and Rachel away just as they're about to have their first kiss. My books aren't that weird.

But would I struggle to write a novel according to a formula to fit squarely into a defined genre on the off-chance of more success? No, I honestly think that would take the heart out of writing for me. I prefer to keep doing what I've been doing because they have to reflect me and have lifeblood in their veins. Some readers can do that within the confines of definite genres and I think they're lucky, but I prefer to plod on, perhaps making pot-pourri drama romances my own particular brand for the sort of reader who may consider trying something like cayenne pepper in their hot chocolate and discovering that it goes together really nicely.

Paula Vince is an award-winning author and homeschooling mother who lives in South Australia's Adelaide Hills, a beautiful spot for inspiration. Her novel, Best Forgotten, won the 2011 CALEB prize for fiction and Picking up the Pieces won the 2011 International Book Award in the religious fiction category. She believes a well-written story has a way of igniting the imagination like nothing else.

OUR PRECIOUS TIME

None of us seems to have enough of this precious commodity. The Lord tells us to make the most of the time we have because of the very times we live in. As authors we have the great privilege having our words read by people we will probably never meet, so do we take enough time to make our stories count?

Anyone can dash off a story - it's done all the time. Yet to allow your reader to personally identify with our main character's struggles and triumphs means digging into our own soul. Even to baring things we'd hesitate to tell our best friend. Oh yes, creating genuine, true-to-life characters takes a lot of time. And it's time invested well.

Reading through some of our authors' posts gives a glimpse into the amount of time and effort involved in crafting a story with a great plot and characters with failings who finally win the battles they face outwardly and within themselves. To be able to trace how they deal with God's Holy Spirit working in their lives without a heavy hand takes loving finesse. Jesus, the master storyteller, shares His message beautifully without labouring the point. Likewise if we allow our readers to simply absorb our message it will stay with them for a long time.

The following is from the vantage point of someone who just ran out of TIME. Set to music on CD, if you'd like to be placed in a draw add your email (with spaces) to your comment.

Life was always full and busy so I never had the time 
To ever get to know Him very much at all,
So I told Him that I would someday, I really meant it then,
Still I was occupied and never heard Him call.

When His final call is given and the universe stands still,
When the sands of time run out and clocks won't chime,
When silence reigns and earth is hushed to hear the Father's will,
Eternity begins ... farewell the end of time.


So I asked myself the question when my time came to an end
Why I didn't even spare the Lord a glance
For I've found he is my judge and yet He could have been my friend,
Now time has gone and I've forever lost my chance.


I don't have time ... I don't have time.
That's how it was and how it ever more will be.
There'll be no time ... there'll be no time,
There'll be no time left in Eternity.

Rita Stella Galieh has two Australian Historical Romances published.

Fire in the Rock & Signed Sealed Delivered, Book I of the Watermark Women Trilogy

See her website at www.ritastellagalieh.com

5 Ways To Secure the Long Term Health of Your Writing Career

What's going on when you're writing? Are you slumped over the computer or slouched in bed with the laptop and a few... ok, a packet of Tim Tams?

Some of you know I suffer from migraines which I try to keep under control with a gluten-free/dairy-free lifestyle. Over the last three years, my writing time has increased to the point where my body is starting to rebel. It not only demands good nutrition, it's been crying out for the right posture and exercise. After a few weeks of sore wrists last month, I chatted to a dear chiropractor friend about the steps I can take to prevent the injuries associated with repetitive hours at the computer. Here's what Dr Alissa Buda shared with me.

1. Look at your posture. Are you hunched over your work? Do your forearms rest on the table or are they too high? Your chair should be high enough that when your feet are firmly on the floor, your hips should be about 15 degrees to your knees. Computer screens should be at eye level.

2. Minimise inflammation in your body. There are a few ways to do this. Take a daily liquid fish oil supplement (which has a higher EPA count than capsules and therefore, more effective for this purpose), minimise grains in your diet, and exercise daily. Even just a 15 minute walk is better than nothing.

3. Learn to move on purpose. Sitting for too many hours is horrible for you health and increases your risk of chronic diseases, so get up and move. Rotate your shoulders when sitting for long periods. You may even want to investigate Pilates, as it has a strong focus on posture and core strength. Take regular breaks, even when you're in a writing groove. Stand up for 30 seconds and stretch.

4. Stretch even when you're sitting. Place your right arm in front of you, elbow extended and palm down. Bend your  wrist toward the floor and pull your hand slightly with your left hand, increasing the bend. You should feel the stretch on the outside of your forearm. Next, bend your wrist toward the ceiling and pull you hand slightly with your left hand, increasing the bend. Now you should feel the stretch in the inner forearm. To increase the stretch, slowly curl your fingers. Repeat with other arm.

5. Jump on a magnesium and calcium supplement which is great for muscle spasms.

These hints are only a starting point, and individual cases should be discussed with a personal physician. I've found the stretching hint very helpful and even in this wintery rain, I'm trying to take more walks.

How about you? Are you with me?

What are you doing to ensure the long term health and future of your writing career?

********************

Dorothy Adamek writes Historical Romance. She lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three teenagers, drinks coffee with rice milk, and is not a great fan of walks in the rain. She loves to sift through all things yesteryear and writes about it at Ink Dots.  

(photo source - love reading and writing)

Brass Heavens

From around the year 2000 for roughly seven years, I experienced what my hubby calls a 'brass heaven,' or what I called disappointment with God - and it had nothing to do with writing. The Lord didn't answer my prayers the way I wanted Him to and I became very discouraged, to the point I found it hard to speak to Him (in any kind of deep and personal way). It is hard to explain in a few words, but I felt as though God had let me down. My relationship with the Lord had once been amazing, a giddy kind of romance, but then it all disappeared. A phrase in my head at the time was "oh the heights from which I've fallen." (I now know this was all me of course, God is perfect.)

When it comes to writing, I am a detailed plotter. I plan out characters and chapters, everything, before I start to write. However, in early 2009 an idea hit me so powerfully that I sat down at my computer with my bible and just started typing. Over the course of a year I wrote a whole manuscript and it seemed as though the Lord was speaking to me, waking me up, reshaping my thinking.

It is not a 'Christian Living' book. It is not even non-fiction. It is purely medieval fantasy romance, but it is allegorical in nature. The writing of this manuscript transformed my life and I will never be the same. I learned things about the grace and love of God that fundamentally changed my character.

All throughout that year, everything pointed to this story. The songs on the radio. Sermons preached. God was working in my heart and mind in a very profound way.

You can imagine therefore that this manuscript is closer to my heart than anything else I've written, as though pieces of my soul are stitched in the pages. Funnily enough, it is the one I have the most trouble getting published. I am looking at a complete re-write. But, I have no peace about re-writing. So, I wait.

I wait on the Lord to give me direction. He will bring it to pass in time. He will give me a nudge, or an idea. I am not discouraged or disappointed about the rejections. Ironically, if I had never written this story, I would not be so at peace with the process. And if it never sees the light of publication, so be it. It has done its job in me. Or rather, He has done His work in me.

Have you ever written anything which God has used to teach you?


Amanda Deed resides in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne where she fills her time with work, raising a family, church activities and writing historical romance novels. Her new novel, Ellenvale Gold was released at the beginning of November, 2011. For more information, see:
http://www.amandadeed.com.au/
http://amanderings.wordpress.com/


To Trail or not to Trail

What a journey this writing has been! It seems not so long ago I was pondering how on earth I would find an agent when none of them seemed interested if I wasn't already published, and none of the publishers would look at a manuscript without it came through an agent. It seemed such an impossible hurdle. Thankfully I'm well past that, and very grateful to have a great publisher. 
However, being a published author seems an ever increasingly complex journey that has involved learning about e-books, social networking, advertising and promotion, blogging, web-sites, online selling. I could never have imagined all these aspects of writing when I started.
I suspect that I'm not the only writer who LOVES writing and finds all this extraverted, self promotional, time consuming stuff much more difficult. What a dream it would be to be able to exclusively spend time writing! However, I can't deny the wonder and joy that it is to get positive feedback about my stories, or to see my covers on FB, or to see reviews of my work on sites for readers and writers and book sellers. It's been fantastic to get to know a group of writers with the same passions and goals and struggles and to be encouraged and supported. So all of the difficult stuff has been worth it. It's stretched me and challenged me and I've learned heaps.

So now, as the prospect of yet another leap, into producing TRAILERS, faces me, I must look back and remember that all the steps have taken me in a good direction. 
I know some of you have done trailers and they're very impressive. I love the idea of seeing something of my story done pictorially - even moving pictures! In fact wouldn't we all love the idea that our stories might one day be made into movies - even mini-series, on television? What a thrill that would be. No harm in dreaming! With God there's no end to the rainbow! 

For now I'd love to know what you think about trailers. Are they an effective way to get our books noticed? Will they help us stand out amongst the thousands of new books that come out week by week. Do trailers produce results? Do they sell more books? Are they worth the cost and time and brainstrain? What's the best way to go about producing them?

I hope this yet another experience in the world of writing where we can share and support each other. 

Love to hear from you, my fellow writers and readers. Carol Preston  

Who is going to open the door?

I’m just a little tentative to address this subject. I have very strong feelings on the matter, but have been observing the dramatic changes in our society over the last forty years or so, and while twenty years ago I wouldn’t have had any qualms about saying it, now I’m just a little anxious about what response I might receive. So, here goes…

I like the old fashioned respect that men used to show women: opening the car door for them; carrying their bags; showing them respect and honour. I don’t think it means that women are stupid, weak or incapable necessarily. It just means that a man has a sense of honour and is willing to show that in acts of service and care. Is that so bad?
I have to admit that I cringed several times during uni lecture when a young man was scolded for being sexist. While delivering a practice lesson on using hand tools, he made the mistake of warning the girls to make sure their hair was tied back, and offered the assistance of the guys if they felt they weren’t strong enough to hold the block of wood in place. Personally, I didn’t even hear the comments, as it didn’t register to me as anything other than a sensible comment being made among other sensible comments, but he was told that it was offensive to women.
A couple of weeks later, I heard another student ask if the guys could move the tables ready for their practice lesson, and froze, waiting for someone to point out that this was sexist. And the thought crossed my mind. Wait a minute! What is wrong with guys being thoughtful, helpful and taking the weight? Could I move a table? Yes, and have done on many occasions, but if a man offers to move the table, change the tyre, carry the heavy bag of groceries, should I be offended that he has offered, or should I be grateful that he has had the thoughtfulness and decency to offer. I’m thinking the latter, and now I’m feeling grumpy with the whole feminist thing. No, I’m not stupid, fragile or helpless, but I do like to be cared for and honoured.
I’ve thought a lot about the feminist ideals: the original suffragette movement went to great pains to establish that women weren’t stupid, and that they were capable of doing just about anything a man could do, and the First World War gave them plenty of opportunity to prove that. They took persecution and ridicule to establish the right that women could speak into a political debate, and have their say right alongside their fathers, brothers and husbands. All good. They fought for equal pay for equal work. That seems sensible. But somewhere along the line, I feel we’ve gone past the sensible into the plain ludicrous. I look at the young men in the uni class (I’m a VERY mature aged student) and feel sorry for them. This study adds to that of watching my young adult sons and their friends try to negotiate the world of relating to young women. It seems an almost impossible task.
The young women are encouraged to dress provocatively, and when their sensual appearance does its job, the young men are hammered for being sleazy (not making excuses for sexual assault here, just making observations). If one talks about dressing modestly, we are restricting the woman’s right to dress how she likes. If young men act in a manner that would have been considered chivalrous in the past, they can very quickly be accused of being sexist, controlling and demanding. I feel quite dizzy trying to figure out how young people are supposed to conduct a relationship in this day and age. Some young women react strongly to the idea that they should have to cook, wash or clean their homes if they have a partner who could and probably should do it.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve encouraged my boys to learn how to cook, and to clean their own rooms. They can wash their own clothes, if it comes to that. I think that boys should be domestically capable, but I also think that girls should be domestically capable, and that it doesn’t hurt for domestic roles to be established when children arrive.
I don’t know – I need to summarise, but I simply don’t know what to say. Has feminism done good? In a lot of things, I think I’d have to say yes. Has it gone too far? Well that is the question for the day. All I can say is, I admire and appreciate a chivalrous gentleman, no matter his age, and I hope that we haven’t killed chivalry stone dead in this next generation.


Meredith Resce

Meredith has written and published 14 novels. Most of them are period drama romance, with an odd time travel adventure, murder mystery and contemporary drama romance thrown in.

Playing God and the Devil’s Advocate

I’m odd. My favourite book of the Bible is Job. I think the main reason is the wonderful theology that a foolhardy exegete such as I can eke out of it. However, the book is also a great example of how writers should treat—or rather mistreat—their protagonists.

Job’s normal existence is portrayed as idyllic: gifts from God abound, and Job doesn’t have a care in the world. But that doesn’t last, of course. What a boring read the book would be if it did! Unbeknown to Job, Satan gains permission from God to mete out a progression of blows on the man. Initially, Job’s possessions are taken away and his children die. Then, to kick him while he’s down, Satan inflicts a painful disease on him.

The final problem to befall Job is a lack of understanding from his friends (well-meaning though they be).

These troubles give rise to the conflicts that comprise the bulk of the book. The main conflict is internal: since Job wasn’t privy to the scenes in which Satan communicates with God, he attributes his afflictions to God and this causes him to question his faith. The external conflict involves Job defending himself and his beliefs against the questionable logic of those around him.

As writers, I think we all know what it’s like to play God in the stories we create. We fashion the characters and settings. We shape how events unfold and direct the final outcome.

But the bit that interests me is that we should also play Satan. In the same way that Satan seeks and obtains permission from God to inflict travails on Job, we must grant ourselves permission to inflict travails on our beloved protagonists—and preferably several layers of them. If I may be permitted to refer to mystical arts in a Christian blog, it’s like sticking pins into a voodoo doll.

I’ll confess that I derive a perverse sense of satisfaction from inflicting challenges on my protagonists. Perhaps I should be worried about this! Hopefully it’s only because I’m curious to see how they’ll respond.

As writers, it would be a problem for us if we get so attached to our stories’ heroes and heroines that we become unwilling to load them down with obstacles. Without problems, there can be no conflict; with no conflict, there can be no drama, no plot and no story. A hero with no challenges can’t show how heroic he is (and presumably a heroine couldn’t show how heroinic she is).

So next time you’re playing God, don’t forget that you’re also the devil’s advocate.

---

Peter McLennan writes YA novels. His first novel has just been published on Amazon and Smashwords.

Only a Toy Giraffe

I received him as a free gift when I did my weekly grocery shopping. Who’s “him” you ask! Good question. The Supermarket was having a special promotion. For several weeks, shoppers who spent over 75 dollars, would be rewarded with a soft toy; a different one each week. They were all on display to tempt us. A lion, an elephant, a monkey, a pig, a cow….. and more. I hadn’t seen them that day, so experienced a happy surprise when I put my bags into the shopping trolley and got ready to pay my bill.

“Would you like a free soft toy with your purchases today?’ asked the friendly girl at the checkout. I was astonished but delighted at the offer! “Sure!” I responded, flashing all thirteen of my top front teeth (which are often determined to make an appearance when I grin)! She handed me a lovely little soft toy. A Giraffe. He looked so cute and cuddly that I took an instant liking to him. I also had a distinct feeling that God whispered in my ear that it was a gift from Him!

I had been going through a difficult season in my life. Perhaps this little giraffe was a special gift (not just from the supermarket), but from a loving Heavenly Father to comfort me and to see me through my difficult moments! Back home, I took the little giraffe out of the shopping bag and cradled him. Instantly, warm, fuzzy feelings engulfed me. The strength of my feelings surprised me. If I felt so loving towards an inanimate soft toy – how much more would my loving heavenly Father feel love towards me, His child. Perhaps that’s what this ‘gift’ was about!

My husband was equally interested when I showed him our latest acquisition. “He does look cute, doesn’t he?” he agreed. We had often discussed the possibility of getting a pet. But for many reasons didn’t think we could have one. And so Raffy – our little toy giraffe became our family pet. And what a perfect pet!

Our new pet had a roundish oblong face, two cute little ears and two small brown horns. He was white with brown patches all over him. He possessed two little nostrils to breathe through. But the most appealing part of him were his large melting brown eyes which gazed soulfully at us. We were hooked!

What a wonderful difference little Raffy made in our lives!


You may laugh… but it’s true. All three of us in my family; that’s my husband, my 22 year old son and I play with him. We leave him in various places, in cute contortions, for the others to find and enjoy a throaty chuckle when they do. When I ask questions of Raffy – my husband helps him nod or shake his head. Raffy’s beautiful brown eyes look deep into me and he looks so lifelike that he’s cute as well as hilarious.

Whenever we watch TV, Raf sits plonk on my husband’s knee or between us. Raf greets my husband joyfully (with a little help from me), when Shan returns from work! At bedtime, Raffy walks over to the bottom of our bed and lies down, is covered by our duvet and instantly goes to sleep. (Far easier than putting a child or live pet to sleep, I should add!)

Yes, Raffy our soft toy is also Raffy our pet. I would not have believed it had I not lived it. Raffy may not be a living creature. But the smiles and laughter he brought was exactly the therapy I needed. He also added an extra zip to our marriage. Laughing and playing with him together reminded us of how we’d play with our son when he was little.

So God not only reminded me how much He loved me through Raffy. He also brought a new element of fun into our family through him.He was only a toy giraffe but what a lot he did for us! He was only a soft toy but he was also so much more.

I wonder if you feel a bit discouraged today? If so, I would like to encourage you. Are you ‘only a writer?” or ‘only a Mum?” or ‘only a something else’? Are you disappointed by your writing achievements to date? Do you feel you only write children’s stories? Or only write non fiction? Or only write romance novels? Do you sometimes compare yourselves with other writers and feel that they are racing ahead in your careers while you are stuck in a groove?

Let me assure you that there is no ‘only’ about it. There is only one you and only one person who can fulfill the future God has for you. That person is YOU! So whatever you do is not an ‘only’ but an ONLY! Get the difference?

You, a writer are one of a kind. God is working out His special purposes through you. Raffy was only a soft toy but what joy he brought into our lives and our home.

You may be only one writer but what a difference you make to this world.
Write on, friend… Write on! You do make a difference!


Anusha has always been fascinated by the English language and loves playing with words. She is passionate about Jesus, life, love, family, friendship, the beauty of creation and many other wonderful facets of this wonderful world. She lives with 1 husband, 1 son & 1 pet giraffe, tapping keys at 1 little computer in 1 cosy home, in 1 beautiful suburb, in 1 breathtaking country, in 1 brilliant continent, in 1 glorious world, in 1 vast universe, but also finding over 1 million and 1 reasons every day, to praise her Amazing Creator.

Do drop by to say Hello to her at her website and blog, Dancing in the Rain:
http://anusha-atukorala.webnode.com/

PS And please DO Keep Writing (or Publishing... or Whatever Else you do)! :)

Settings

Settings

As I was thinking about my next blog post I was thinking about what I had been doing over the past few months.
The answer was TRAVEL. I travelled from the bottom of New Zealand to the top and many areas in between. Over my short life I have travelled through many states in Australia and lived in three, which gives me a range of places I have seen.

When writing I like to have a setting for my novel. I have used NSW, country Victorian/Melbourne. As I write contemporary novels I can use places I have been.

How do you get your ideas of places/settings? I may use fictional towns but think of a place I might have been. Do you use real towns, or do you make them up?
In one of my novels it is set in Victoria but I needed a town and a fictional town was the only way I could see getting the town I wanted. I have read a few books where they may have a map, and they point out that the town they are using is fictitious. So I made up the name of the town my characters grew up in.

Do you feel like you have to have been to the place to write it into your story? I co-wrote a story with a friend of mine, she lived in USA and she used to travel with her hubby so she had been to the places we used. I used a little bit of Australia and hoped what I wrote would sound all right and she said it did. I have never had to the chance to travel to the United States, but would like to one day, if only to see those towns my characters were in.
I really get immersed in my characters’ lives (or them in mine). I like to be able to see the setting. Like something in Melbourne wouldn’t be the same as Sydney (ie. Trams). I see a church and it was the church I was a member of. I even used the idea of their being two exit doors like this church had. I think it does help if you have been in the same setting/situation.

I use Aussie terminology in my stories so I think most of the times I will set my stories in Australia. The country I love and live in. Maybe if I ever lived somewhere else ….. But that doesn’t seem all that likely.
Settings are important, because you want to have readers want to see what you see, at least partly. Will my readers understand mountains and hills? I know if I say hills to people in WA will have a completely different idea to those who live in the Eastern states. So I try to use something that I may have seen, I can imagine things, but I want them to be realistic to a point.

Listening to our ‘deep gladness’

At the moment, I find myself at something of a crossroads. I have been writing for around eight years now and have had five novels published in that time. I have also completed a sixth and submitted it to a publisher. Last year, I also completed my first non-fiction work and am in the process of deciding where to direct it for possible publication. And more recently, I have re-edited over a hundred of my blogs, in the hope that at some future date they will be published in book form. I have enjoyed it all. But what next for me in my writing journey?

Common sense would tell me I should apply myself to those rough outlines and first chapters of three further novels waiting on my computer. I am not getting any younger (!)—and who else is going to write them if I don’t? Sure there will be many other novels written in the years ahead, but they won’t have my characters in them or the many ideas running around in my head right now! I think I could complete each of these novels—but for me, the bottom line is whether this is actually what God wants me to do.

So how do I discover that? The whole picture becomes a little more complex too when I realise afresh how much I enjoy mentoring other women in their walk with God--particularly other authors. Before I began writing, I was part of a local church ministry team. I loved that role and still find myself wanting to care for others in the way I did then. How is this all meant to fit together in my life, now I have reached this ‘mini-crossroads’ point again?

Well, first and foremost, I take time to pray—and listen to God. I have learnt not to make quick decisions but to ‘hasten slowly’, asking God all the while if I am on the right course for my life and in my writing. I read God’s word and journal about that. I know God can speak so clearly through it to me—in fact, my initial call to write came as I was reading some verses from Isaiah 42. I talk the matter over with those close to me. And then I watch as circumstances unfold in my life under God’s hand. By that, I mean I may take the step of submitting a manuscript to a publisher. If it is accepted, I am grateful, but if it is rejected then I accept that too. I have asked God to lead and I need to trust God is actually doing that and will show me the road ahead in these practical ways.

But there is something else I try to do as well—and that is to listen my own self! I am learning to recognise what energises me the most and gives me great joy and fulfilment—or, as the American author Frederick Buechner puts it, to recognise the place where my ‘deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet’. I also remember Psalm 37:4 where David writes:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

And as I do, I move forward step by step with hope in God, aware of that ‘deep gladness’ that tells me I’m on the right track and using my gifts well to make a difference in this world.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds an Arts degree from Queensland University.  She has also studied Education and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and spoken word and currently has five published novels—‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’.  She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren.

Inspiration: By Appointment

The torpid artist seeks inspiration at any cost, by virtue or by vice, by friend or by fiend, by prayer or by wine. Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the name of research and inspiration I’ve been on Pinterest, Facebook, design blogs, writers’ blogs, watched movies, read myriad books, searched quotes, lost myself in paintings, wondered in nature and engaged in absorbing conversations.

Writers are like magpies, collecting thoughts, ideas, phrases, and word pictures in a magnificent obsession. We carry a notebook in our mind, if not a literal one, to record inspiration.

Inspiration is found everywhere if we look for it, however, in the midst of the crowded landscape of life, how do we take inspiration and convert it into something tangible like a book?

How does a writer who does not have the luxury of a cleaner, nanny or chef, produce an amount of work that justifies listing one’s occupation as author in the midst of everyday life?

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is to make appointments with yourself. A personal trainer once told me that women are particularly poor at putting exercise as a priority in their lives. He told me to make appointments with myself and stick to them. It worked. I exercise every week at least 5 times and it’s become a lifelong habit.

I gave up a teaching job a few years ago to concentrate on my writing. However, in a gradual shift, other things such as ageing parents, children and significant life changes, have taken precedence. Volunteer work at home and in Cambodia, along with regular travel means life does not have a regular routine.

I have written and published two books; one manuscript is in review stage and one is being written. I am inspired, called, and compelled by God to write.

It’s time to make appointments with myself to write every day and not just fit in a self-imposed writer’s retreat or the last couple of hours in the day when I’m tired or on the road.

Inspiration provides the imperative to work, but sometimes I get sidetracked and don’t actually get down to write. I’m inspired but not necessarily converting that into a tangible product.

My husband keeps telling me to treat it as a job. So, what can I say to parents who need me and young adult children who want more of me? I have an appointment from this time to this time on this day and then I’m free.

Critique partners who want to see a chapter a week help keep me accountable and give me another appointment to keep.

It’s time to take the inspiration filling my head and finish those books.

Elaine Fraser

www.beautifulbooks.co

Learning From Each Other

Greetings to all, in the name of Jesus. It is my pleasure to Post on here this week.
Thank you Lee for your invitation.

To introduce myself: I am Crystal Mary Lindsey

Christians down under are just the same as Christians Up Over. 
Prior going to live in America, I had misconceived ideas about Americans.
How wrong I found myself to be. 
Yes! Americans are very patriotic. So much so that in their schools they hardly learn anything about any other country accept their own. That is where their power has come from, and that is why they are the strength they are today. They unite together.


There can be good said about this, and there can be bad.
When you don't know any better, then you believe you are the best.
This is a recipe for two things.
Being positive and successful, or,  being ignorant.


My husband Ray is American. I didn't know him very well before I met him in person over there.
He knew nothing about Australia.
I told him I wanted him to come back here to meet my family.
Before he came he told everyone how backward we Australians were.
I didn't say too much in return accept, "Well,  you'll see."

From the first day he arrived, he felt the freedom of this great land. 
Then he began to tell me how more advanced we were in many things. 
Electricity was one of these.
America isn't much older in white inhabitants than Australia is.
They fought earlier in the piece to free their country from the British, while we remain united.
The size of the USA is almost the same as Australia. 

Their population is approximately  311,591,917.
Australia's population is approximately 22,328,800.  
Now that is a vast difference.
It is no wonder Americans are ahead of us in somethings, such as literature. 
There are more people experiencing it.  



That doesn't mean we can't learn, and it doesn't mean we won't improve.

In all truth, these are two things that will and are, already happening very well!

I have to say this also. Americans are hard workers. They do not shirk their responsibilities, and that is something we need to improve on, to succeed.
I speak from experience about this, because I worked there.
Instead of an eight hour day that I had worked here, it was more of a fifteen hour day there, and no one complained. They have a pride in striving for their country.

Lets not feel disheartened about them thinking they are better than us.
At the moment they are. However, we are on our way to better accomplishments.
One day we may even lead the world of literacy.

I was once invited to a church in the town where I lived in Tennessee. Excitedly I was watched for my reaction to the beautiful beach overheads, and the music.
"Well, what did you think?" I was asked at the end...
I didn't want to hurt any feelings, but I had to tell the truth.
"Well," I said as kindly as I could. "Those beaches are Australian and the songs, were from Hillsong."    It was so hard not to laugh out loud....
But then, I laugh at almost everything.
The singing in the church I attended, was fabulous, and I learned a few different songs.
   
Lets unit and grow together helping one another, and improving our world.
After all, Jesus said the most important thing we can have, is love...  
Love and Blessings to all.  CML
 

Introducing a reader.

Hi all. This is my first post here so I thought I would introduce myself. Around the online I use the nickname Ausjenny due to the very first board I was ever on having many Jenny's and one other using Jenny from Downunder. I started using Ausjenny as its so much easier to type and it wasn't taken at that stage. I am Ausjenny on most boards, forums etc and it distinguishes me. 


I started blogging just over 4 years ago answering a meme from Camy Tang. I started the blog in a simple way by adding a few reviews, then joined a blog alliance to help promote new books and gain free books to read and review. I then added interviews and still remember my first ever interview was with Mary Connealy. Since then I now do a regular getting to know you interview every Thursday where I introduce authors to readers. 


The past year I have been able to introduce Australian authors and books to my readers which has been a real joy. I have a reader friend in Canada who has loved being introduced to Australian fiction. I love learning more about authors and love being able introduce and promote authors and books.

One question I ask in my interviews is what were your favourite books when you were a child. I have been interested in the answers. As a child my first favourite book was a book of  fairytales. It had 3 stories with one being The Snow Queen which I feel in love with. My next favourite was The Magic Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton. I loved these books and many of her other books. I reread them so many times. I so wanted a tree like that one in my back yard. I have found authors from the Commonwealth countries often mention Enid Blyton but so far no American authors have. I also loved Seven Little Australians and the Billabong books. 2 of my favourite books were Betsy, and the other book was Helen Keller's Teacher. I loved this book.

After school I didn't read a lot for many years until an older lady from church gave me the first book in Janette Oke's Canadian West series. I devoured this book and she gave me the second book early for  my birthday and I then bought the rest in the series. This gave me a love for Mounties, Canada and reading. I have watched the Christian fiction scene changed in the past 25 or so years from just a few novels to where it is today. I am also excited to see the Australian Christian Fiction growing also. I am loving the range we have and looking forward to more exciting things. I am on a few forums at Goodreads and many say they want to read books set in Australia and they want the Australian voice. I look forward to more exciting times.


Thanks for bearing with me for this post. I am not a writer and normally just post interviews and reviews. This has been an interesting experience. 

Jenny Blake aka Ausjenny has her own blog at http://ausjenny.blogspot.com where she posts reviews, interviews and information on new books. Jenny is always looking for authors to feature on her blog.

The Power of Words

Two things recently have started me thinking about the power of words. One was the recent post by Jackie about 'it only needs to be a small flame.' When I thought about that, one of the examples that struck me was the example of Aussie poet Andrew Lansdown. He is a quite openly a Christian who writes poetry that is accepted by literary magazines and Christian journals. His poetry is recognised and acclaimed by Christians and those in literary circles. I admit he is on my mind at present, as I have recently finished reviewing his poetry collection Allsorts that has been entered in the Caleb Poetry Prize which I am privileged ot be judging again this year. His faith is evident in his poems which are always a tribute to the Mighty Creator. He is a great example of a writer whose words are a beacon in our world. If you love poetry and haven't read any of his poems, I encourage you do do so.

The second was a text message I received from a friend who was in the middle of preparing a talk for Mother's Day. The text asked,  'What is the best advice you received from your mother or best advice you have given as a mum.' I answered the first part of the question with two bits I remembered from my mum. One was humorous. The other practical. My mother was a person who drew people to her as naturally as breathing. The practical one was, 'make lots of friends. Don't just make one best friend.' 

I don't remember the exact context of her saying this, but suspect it could have been when my best friend moved to Queensland in my first year in high school and I was devastated. But it may well have been even much earlier than that. Because of moving house a bit, I had been to three different schools before high school and so had to make new friends quite a bit.

Not wanting to presume what advice my children had deemed valuable, if anything, I decided to text and ask. My daughter thought for a bit before her texted answer came back. 'One that comes to mind is about marriage and what to look for in a marriage partner and you said " that as no-one is perfect and everyone has faults, choose someone whose faults you can live with because you can't change them to be the person you want them to be. You marry them as they are. The other thing she remembered me saying was, 'marriage requires work. It won't just happen.'

I wondered then how different it would be if I asked my son and so off went another text message. After a while his answer came back saying, 'I can't remember any specific advice but your encouragement to follow the Lord in both words and example would be the most significant.' Needless to say, I felt good after those replies and felt somewhere along the marriage and parenting way, my husband and I must have managed to get a few things right.

So, I guess it highlighted for me the importance of words and how sometimes they can have an impact even when we may not be aware of it. That's true whether it is in marriage and parenting or in writing. Sometimes in writing, our characters can get away with giving advbice and saying what the author may not be able to say openly. That way it doesn't come across as preachy but as an intrinsic part of that character and the way they live their life and make choices. At least that's why I hop to do in my fiction so that those who are outside the church will read it and hoepfully it will make them think. Who knows whether sometime down the track those words will take root and lead them to the Saviour, especially if we seek to write what God wants and cover our writing with prayer.

Putting Australia first.

American National Pride is indeed a palpable thing, compared to how we Australians view ourselves.

Do we as Australian's get caught up in this American nationalism?

We adopt their tv shows, and their slang, to the point of changing our language to reflect more Americanisms than Briticisms. For instance, peanut paste is now peanut butter and 'dead horse' is becoming widely known as ketchup.

Are we losing our own identity?

America is most certainly the super power, so perhaps we are seeking the approval of the powerful parent.

As it pertains to fiction writing, we spend considerable monies to join and partake in American writing groups and organisations, attend their conferences etc.

Do we therefore consider American fiction superior to Australian fiction, and as a result we are trying to expand our knowledge, or by joining these groups are we trying to achieve a sense of equality?

Do we sincerely believe, through membership in these groups, that they offer the potential to enter the American market place, or to be blunt, are we just rubbing shoulders with what we consider successful authors, editors and publishers? And hoping this will rub off?

Should not Australian writing enterprises, have a greater propensity to assist Australian authors?

Depending on your perspective, should we be spending our hard-earned financial resources through memberships or subscriptions to these American enterprises?

How often have you heard that in order to publish in the Christian market, you need to have an agent?

Not in Australia.

How often have you heard that Christian publishers will not accept unsolicited manuscripts?

Not in Australia.

How often have you heard that to be accepted by an American Christian publisher, you need an American hero/heroine or part of the book must be set in America.

Not in Australia.

Australian Christian authors are blessed to be in on the ground floor of this emerging industry. We have the ability to be able to stand on our own feet and be proud about what we do.

However, in order to achieve growth within our own industry, perhaps we need to mirror some of that same nationalism displayed by American's, here, at home!

Lee Franklin is a director of HyalineHouse, an Australian publishing company. www.HyalineHouse.com